Expert: Head of Phanar was invited to Ukraine to get OCU’s rating up

Patriarch Bartholomew and the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko. Photo: wikipedia

Patriarch Bartholomew and the head of the OCU Epiphany Dumenko. Photo: wikipedia

The invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople to Ukraine by President Vladimir Zelensky may owe to the fact that the canonical Churches stopped the recognition of the OCU. By inviting the head of Phanar, the authorities hope to improve the efficiency and manageability of this religious organization, Ruslan Bortnik, Director of the Ukrainian Institute for Analysis and Policy Management said in an interview with the First Cossack youtube channel.

In his opinion, now the OCU is facing problems that are caused, among other things, by the demarche of the head of the liquidated UOC-KP Filaret Denisenko, as well as by the low efficiency and manageability of this organization: “There are complicated processes within the OCU, including an outstanding issue with Filaret (Denisenko – Ed.). By and large, although this religious denomination has appeared, its controllability and effectiveness are rather low, while its recognition by other Local Churches has stopped today. In my view, they invited Bartholomew (Patriarch – Ed.) to remedy the situation,” the expert believes.

As reported by the UOJ, Patriarch Bartholomew can come to Ukraine in order to take the religious sites promised to him by Poroshenko under his direct control, Ruslan Bortnik believes.

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